Overland Park police made seven arrests in six days after launching their Holiday Retail Theft Initiative on Nov. 1, according to KCTV5.
The department deployed eight to 10 plainclothes detectives inside stores daily. Uniformed officers waited outside. The patrols will continue through the holiday season.
Officer John Lacy of the Overland Park Police Department said the annual initiative is bigger this year. "We have more detectives. We have more officers on the street who are watching and looking," he said.
Lacy, a 33-year department veteran, said retail theft is a recurring holiday-season problem. The department decided to put more resources into retail this year, he said.
Plainclothes detectives patrol stores, train staff
When a store employee spots something suspicious, they contact a detective already on the floor, Lacy told KCTV5. The detective watches from a distance. If the suspect leaves, an officer outside makes the stop.
Detectives have also trained store managers and salespeople on warning signs. Lacy said they teach employees to watch for large bags and people looking around nervously. He described a common tactic: groups of three or four try to confuse a salesperson, then steal while the employee is distracted.
Hilary Rudman, owner of The Plaid Elephant in south Overland Park, said she has seen theft in the area. She said bigger stores get hit harder, but small businesses feel it too. Her shop uses cameras and keeps its most valuable items at the point of sale.
"I say bring it on. Absolutely … I think we need … all the help we can get, especially small businesses," Rudman said of the added police presence.
How shoppers can help
Police are asking shoppers to lock their cars, keep valuables out of sight and report anything suspicious. The non-emergency dispatch line is 913-895-6300. In an emergency, call 911.
